Timor-Leste Takes Part in Ministerial Meeting on Online Safety and Regulation of Digital Platforms
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, took part on September 9th, 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the Ministers-Regulators Roundtable Meeting (MRRM 2026), which focused on online safety, child protection in the digital environment, the accountability of digital platforms, and regional regulatory cooperation.
The Timor-Leste delegation also included Flávio Cardoso Neves, President of the National Communications Authority (ANC, I.P.).
The MRRM 2026 was organised by Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications, in partnership with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and chaired by Malaysia’s Minister of Communications, Ahmad Fahmi bin Mohamed Fadzil. The meeting brought together ministers, regulators, policymakers, and international partners to share experiences and examine policies and regulatory mechanisms in the digital sphere.
Discussions focused on online safety and child protection, including age verification mechanisms and age restrictions for accessing social media, as well as digital platform accountability and cooperation among regulatory authorities across countries.
Participants also examined regulatory enforcement mechanisms, including the implementation of Malaysia’s Online Safety Act 2025, and the need to strengthen international cooperation to address digital issues that transcend national borders.
In his address, Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu expressed Timor-Leste’s support for efforts to promote a safe and trusted digital environment, highlighting the challenges smaller countries face in coordinating with major global digital platforms that lack a direct presence in the country.
“Timor-Leste’s challenge is not limited to regulation or policy. A major challenge is ensuring effective coordination with global platforms such as Google, Meta, and TikTok when issues arise. Timor-Leste can enact sound laws and policies, but their implementation and enforcement require the cooperation of these platforms,” stated the Minister.
Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu argued that the physical presence of platforms in Timor-Leste is not the only solution, pointing to the possibility of establishing regional focal points or specific mechanisms, namely through structures located in Singapore, to facilitate communication with smaller ASEAN and Pacific nations.
“We need not only physical representation in Timor-Leste. We need a focal point capable of responding to the concerns of smaller countries, particularly within ASEAN and the Pacific. This will help ensure faster coordination when issues arise and guarantee that our citizens can use digital platforms safely,” he declared.
The meeting also addressed digital trust, cybersecurity, data protection, and Artificial Intelligence governance in the context of expanding infrastructure and access to digital technologies.
Participation in MRRM 2026 enabled Timor-Leste to follow regional discussions on digital environment policies and regulation and to present its national challenges in engaging with global digital platforms.
